If a man and woman are out on the town — they’re two-stepping, they’re having fun — one thing is all but certain: before night’s end, the rose lady will find them.
And when she does, the man better have $3 in hand. It’s a small price to pay for a husband or boyfriend or even a first date who wants to stay in the good graces of his woman.
The rose lady drives from club to club in Longview and Kilgore. On a mission, she hurries through the front door and scans the crowd for her prey. She darts among them, proffering a bouquet of deep red and other brightly hued roses. Many people say no, but plenty say yes.
She’s sold more than enough flowers to keep her in business for the past 20 years.
“Would you like to buy a rose?”
When the rose lady comes around, you might never think to ask her name. She has one, though. It’s Pam Johnson. Two decades is an eternity in the nightlife industry, and Johnson, 46, credits her longevity to the high quality and reasonable price of her roses. No gimmicks for her.
“These girls from Tyler used to come over with cellophane and teddy bears,” she said. “They think they’re so hot. Well, I have run those Tyler girls out of this town. All I have to have is roses, and that makes my customers happy.”
Johnson works for a local flower wholesaler who did not wish to be named. She earns $1 per rose, plus tips, and she sells around 500 roses a week. On a recent Wednesday night, she wore short brown hair and an oversized pink T-shirt. She cruised past one of the first bars on her route and decided not to stop.
“I think I’m gonna pass,” she said. “If you see one, two, three cars, there’s no sense stopping. Don’t waste your time. It’s still slow. The later it gets, the better it gets.”
Later she rushed through a busy pool hall but had no takers.
“That’s how fast I move when I’m not selling,” she said, back in her
’92 Crown Victoria and heading to the next place. “You have to because you have to keep moving. I’m in and out of there.” Some nights, though, she just strikes out. “I’ve gone out here and only sold one rose in a night or two roses in a night. You just go with the flow.
Just take life as it is. I’ve learned that over the years.”
Some of the interactions with customers can be downright unpleasant.
At a local bikini bar, a man who looked like he’d walked in from a golf course became irate when she stopped at his table. He cursed her and told her to leave him alone. It didn’t faze her. Johnson was happy because she sold 12 roses to more amenable customers.
“Why get mad?” she said. “I used to, but I’ve learned to deal with life and take it as it is, because eventually something good is going to happen.
“I’m sorry that guy got mad, but it’s my job to ask.”
Johnson got an early start as a saleswoman. Growing up in Knoxville, Tenn., she hawked Amway and Fuller Brush products door to door when she was 13 years old.
“My dad taught me how to sell,” she said. “I got a lot of doors slammed in my face, but I’d usually sell some products by the end.”
When she was a little older, she went to work as a carny and traveled for several years operating carnival games and rides. When she became pregnant, she moved with her future ex-husband to his hometown of Kilgore and began selling roses. She has two grown children.
Johnson’s favorite club is the Backstreet Bar & Grill in downtown Longview. It’s an older crowd, and the people are decent.
“Watch as I go up to each customer and give them a hug whether they buy a rose or not,” she said.
Inside, a man with a long beard, longer hair and a white cowboy hat was wailing karaoke. At a table for two, Glinda Lonsberry’s date bought her a single red rose.
“Roses make a woman feel very special,” said Lonsberry, of White Oak. “It’s a statement saying to her that she’s special.”
Many of the bar patrons propped their flowers in empty beer bottles. As Johnson was finishing her rounds, someone bought a rose for a woman with bright red lipstick.
“Wait!” she said. “Who bought me this?”
“Secret admirer,” Johnson replied.
The woman was astonished. The rose lady had made her night.
4,417 responses to “Selling roses to Longview’s drunks”
Hi my friend! I want to say that this article is amazing, nice written and include almost all vital infos. I would like to see more posts like this.
At its most basic, a roof misting system can be little greater than a backyard hose set to the mist setting and aimed across the roof.
Thank you for sharing indeed great looking !
Thank you for sharing indeed great looking !
Thank you for sharing indeed great looking !
There’s only one of these $8 million cars on the planet.
The information shared is of top quality which has to get appreciated at all levels. Well done…
A great post without any doubt.
A great post without any doubt.
Mrs. McNUTT died early Saturday in a Shawnee nursing home.
Thank you for sharing indeed great looking !
Thank you for sharing indeed great looking !
Stagflation seems as a societal crisis, reminiscent of throughout the interval of the oil disaster in the 70s and in 2007 to 2010.
Equity Index Annuity does not participate in dividends as owning the index outright would and similar there are no ongoing transaction expenses or fees.
Henry S. King, the special engineer, followed Tobin on the stand, offering estimates and blueprints on the elevation, with a complete of $2.383 million on the challenge.
Midpoint is the world?? first dedicated peer-to-peer international foreign currency matching platform.
Dazzling appears to be like doubtless accounted for the spectacular gross sales figures of the newly diminutive Firebird.
He should have practice handling short sales and foreclosures.
The solutions are all to be found in the IRS publications on charitable deductions, however you would possibly want some time (or professional help) to seek out them.
Introducing to you the most prestigious online entertainment address today. Visit now to experience now!
This is due to the evolutionary nature of algorithmic trading strategies – they must be able to adapt and trade intelligently, regardless of market conditions, which involves being flexible enough to withstand a vast array of market scenarios.
Whereas small issues are natural and present in every financial system, the bigger ones may be detrimental to Forex traders.
It could make the distinction between looking like a demure maiden or a mischievous nymph.
Hey very nice website!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing .. I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds also?I’m happy to find so many useful information here in the post, we need work out more strategies in this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .
A government bond or sovereign bond is a type of bond issued by a government to support public spending.
Vegetables resembling bell peppers and celery are often added to the combination.
For employees facing the loss of their jobs in the public sector as well as the private sector, for new graduates and school leavers looking for their first jobs and for everyone struggling to deal with austerity measures and rising energy and food prices the statistics can only add to the pressure they are under.
What sort of duties do you hate doing the most when you’re at work?
Pretty section of content. I just stumbled upon your blog and in accession capital to assert that I acquire actually enjoyed account your blog posts. Anyway I will be subscribing to your augment and even I achievement you access consistently fast.
From 1947 to 1991, the nations constructed up their nuclear arms, each expanding its arsenal in tempo with the opposite.
As per the statistics, a jet airplane emits multiple pound of CO2 each mile per passenger and by the time, the airplane is over 1300 miles, the carbon prints are a couple of ton per mile/ passenger.
Probably the most fulfilling parts of discovering nature right in your yard is discovering out precisely what you’re discovering.
In contrast to mates-solely bachelorette events, bridal showers include all sorts of riffraff: stuffy great aunts, annoying cousins and mothers-in-legislation of all shapes and sizes.
Nice i really enjoyed reading your blogs. Keep on posting. Thanks
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful post with us.
The information shared is of top quality which has to get appreciated at all levels. Well done…
A great post without any doubt.
A great post without any doubt.
The information shared is of top quality which has to get appreciated at all levels. Well done…
And each is implanted with a tiny, high-tech brainwashing gadget which, activated, can turn its host right into a helpless buffoon or a remorseless, conscienceless, killing machine – regardless of the controller wishes.
It’s an remarkable post in favor of all the internet people; they will get benefit from it I am sure.|
Apple’s enterprise philosophy is to accumulate small companies that may be easily built-in into current company initiatives.
See if the stock price of your target firm outperforms, underperforms or mirrors the broad market indexes and its competitors.
A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both.
So please have a have a look at the next example of taking small earnings and doing multiple trades and the way it will present you a very good amount at the end of the month.
Amazon Unbox movies play in a proprietary Unbox video player.
Marriage ceremony Gown Suppliers – Right here you’ll find listing of high online gown suppliers with a special invitation out to readers to listing their wedding ceremony dress provider and if the expertise was an excellent or bad one.
You have discovered it: that 12 months, make and mannequin of automotive that you have at all times wished to personal.
Introducing to you the most prestigious online entertainment address today. Visit now to experience now!
Introducing to you the most prestigious online entertainment address today. Visit now to experience now!